The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1887-08-20
GLASS MAKERS.

1861 10 lSSO.. 20
1881 TO 1888. ......... 2,0l
And, In commenting upon this subject,
on page 3l2, he says that, among others,
glass makers "shoU tie highest lepel IF ,cdges
for the century IN 1867 And he adds;
"On the other hand, the largest proportion
of lorest prices appears in lS6O,-seventeen
out of seventy nine articles having then
their l0,cest recorded price,"
Glass blowers are highest paid of any
laborers In glass. BY force of their unions
they may drive their wages temporarily
out of proportion to these OF others en-.
gagged In the industry. The general aver
age, therefore, as given In the table above,
Is the true criterion; and. remembering
that the "iree trade period" OF our history
was from 1916 to 1861, the above table Is
commended to the consideration Of those
protectionists who teach or fear that free
trade would degrade our laborers to the
condition of "paupers like those of Eu
rope"
In July, 1916, the duty on window glass
was as high as ii is to-day. No reason can
now be given why free trade would de.
grade our labor that was not of equal or
greater force then. But instead of de-
grading labor, cut from at least 80 TO 10
per cent raised the wages of glass makers
to height never before known In the tide
of time, and at the same time cheapened
the necessities of life. That system is best
for the laborer which gives to him most OF
the necessaries of life for his day of toll
The one that raises wages and cheapens
goods must necessarily be such system
must necessarily carry the laborer away
from pauperism, not towards 1t.
Let the labOrer in glass for a moment
consider this table. 1t Is official, authen-
tic. In 1910, after 10 years of steady and
enormous protection to glass, the average
wages of glass workers were 81 g2 per day.
In 1850, after 16years of low revenue tariff,
and then the lowest for seventy years, the
average wages in glass were 1896 per day,
or over 50 per cent higher than under pro-
lection. And in 1880, after 70 years of in
tense and extreme protection again. wages
In glass had declined to Sl.76 per day and,
v lille reducing the wages Of the laborer, 1t
raised the price of glass to the consumer
over 100 per cent. AS We approach free
trade the industries expand, and wages Of
labor rise in obedience to law as fixed as
gray.tatioa itself. Free trade never did
degrade tie laborer, and never can, Until
the laws Of political economy are upset
until three times three are seventeen.
The increase of wages in all the indus
tries was steady and persistent from lo48
TO 1861. We see by this table of Commits
sioner Wright that in 1880, four years after
the tariff had been reduced, the average
wages were k2,44 per day, and one-third OF
glass workers, are women, and children.
The Hon. Joseph D. Weeks reports, in the
ls,h census, that in 1857, there were 80
glass factories in Allegheny county, Pa,
/, ana the avera 60 wages paid was $46O per
annum. The year 1857 YVES one OF unpar,
allelled commercial Disaster. The failures
of that year aggregated $sel, 100000, and
desanged the industries as failures OF
thousand millions now would derange them
for this Protectionists never weary in as
sociating that year Of disaster with the
"f,ee trade PERIOD But 1t was purely
financial, not IN industrial depression. II
was year CT reckoning for wild cat
banks. They went by the board. The
currency once regulated, tie industries as
sumed their wohted course. But that yea
Of financial pssasc was necessarily year OF
arrangement and depression for the indus
tries, yet in that year of disaster the 80 fac
tories of Allegheny county paid their labor
ers, men, wonaen and children combined
$500 each!
II The census shows that IN 1880 there weT
Isl glass factories in the same county
paying their laborers but an average o
$444 each Per annum. The census year
1880 was the "boom" year for the inssn'
/ tries-the very best since protection wa
inaugurated In 1861; yet the wages pal
, In the glass industry In this test and mo'
prosperous year under protection were al
/, tually less than were paid 30 years ago
{ that year of "free trade and financial disa
ter" 1857. So, also, IS We have seen, wage
r of glass workers In New Jersey, the secon
q glass producing State, were but 1856 p'
2 annum In 1880. In word, In the ye'
r 1880, the most prosperous year under pr
+ lection, with tariff on glass 400 per Gel
d greater than In 1857, the most disastro'
q year under "iree trade" wageslof1l Lahore
Q In glass were Notwithstanding less In 1S'
u than In 1857 Furthermore, wages In IL
were natural--based upon the law OF su
n ply and demand. Labor unions and tram
Il were then unknown; they are the legi
d mate and necessary results Of protection
4 BYsrANpKR>